During the first 4 years after graduation, women and men had different experiences with respect to marriage, parenthood, graduate enrollment, graduate attainment, and employment. Among those who had not married by the time they graduated, women were more likely than men to have married within 4 years (32 percent vs. 28 percent).

Entry into parenthood occurred at lower rates than marriage. Within 4 years, 13 percent of bachelors degree recipients who were not parents at graduation became parents. As with marriage, women were more likely than men to make this transition (15 percent vs. 11 percent).

After 4 years, 29 percent of bachelors degree recipients had enrolled in a graduate degree program. While women and men were equally likely to enroll, women were more likely to enroll in masters degree programs and men were more likely to enroll in first-professional and doctoral programs.

Fifteen percent of the 199293 bachelors degree recipients earned a graduate degree within 4 years. While women and men were about equally likely to earn a graduate degree within this time frame (16 percent and 15 percent, respectively), among those who did, men were more likely to earn a first-professional or doctoral degree. Among those who earned a graduate degree, 13 percent of women and 23 percent of men earned a first-professional or doctoral degree.

Women and men were about equally likely to be employed during the first 4 years after earning their bachelors degree, but among those working, men were more likely to be employed full time. For example, 2 years after graduation, 84 percent of women and 86 percent of men were employed; however, 92 percent of employed men were working full time, compared with 87 percent of employed women.